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Carter C, Laviolette L, Bietar B, Zhou J, Lehmann C. Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Stroke: Increased Risk or Potential for Protection-A Narrative Review. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2024; 46:3122-3133. [PMID: 38666926 PMCID: PMC11048784 DOI: 10.3390/cimb46040196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Worldwide, approximately 15 million people per year suffer from stroke. With about 5 million deaths, stroke is the second most common cause of death and a major cause of long-term disability. It is estimated that about 25% of people older than 85 years will develop stroke. Cannabis sativa and derived cannabinoids have been used for recreational and medical purposes for many centuries. However, due to the legal status in the past, research faced restrictions, and cannabis use was stigmatized for potential negative impacts on health. With the changes in legal status in many countries of the world, cannabis and cannabis-derived substances such as cannabinoids and terpenes have gained more interest in medical research. Several medical effects of cannabis have been scientifically proven, and potential risks identified. In the context of stroke, the role of cannabis is controversial. The negative impact of cannabis use on stroke has been reported through case reports and population-based studies. However, potential beneficial effects of specific cannabinoids are described in animal studies under certain conditions. In this narrative review, the existing body of evidence regarding the negative and positive impacts of cannabis use prior to stroke will be critically appraised.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Christian Lehmann
- Department of Anesthesia, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; (C.C.); (L.L.); (B.B.); (J.Z.)
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Neuroprotection of Retinal Ganglion Cells In Vivo Using the Activation of the Endogenous Cannabinoid Signaling System in Mammalian Eyes. Neuronal Signal 2022; 6:NS20210038. [PMID: 35233292 PMCID: PMC8850705 DOI: 10.1042/ns20210038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabinoid and glutamatergic signaling systems in the human retina coexist and greatly influence one another. Under glaucomatous conditions, excess levels of glutamate accrete in the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer. The present study tests the putative neuroprotective effect mediated by cannabinoids at the CB1 and CB2 receptors. In the first experiment, mice were given intravitreal injections of 160 nmol N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) in one eye and saline in the paired eye. In the second experiment, both eyes were given NMDA, while one of the two was additionally given the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2. Ten days later, animals were perfused and the retinae were dissected as wholemounts and stained with Cresyl Violet. Quantitative analysis revealed that 70% of the neurons in the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) layer exposed to NMDA underwent cell death. The addition of the cannabinoid CB1/CB2 agonist doubled the number of neurons surviving the NMDA treatment. These data provide evidence that cannabinoids, either exogenous or endogenous, may be harnessed to provide protection from neurodegenerative diseases, including glaucoma, and from glutamate-induced, and potentially other forms of neurotoxicity, under chronic or acute conditions.
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Liu Y, Jia M, Wu C, Zhang H, Chen C, Ge W, Wan K, Lan Y, Liu S, Li Y, Fang M, He J, Pan HL, Si JQ, Li M. Transcriptomic Profiling in Mice With CB1 receptor Deletion in Primary Sensory Neurons Suggests New Analgesic Targets for Neuropathic Pain. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:781237. [PMID: 35046811 PMCID: PMC8762320 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.781237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Type 1 and type 2 cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2, respectively) mediate cannabinoid-induced analgesia. Loss of endogenous CB1 is associated with hyperalgesia. However, the downstream targets affected by ablation of CB1 in primary sensory neurons remain unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that conditional knockout of CB1 in primary sensory neurons (CB1cKO) alters downstream gene expression in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and that targeting these pathways alleviates neuropathic pain. We found that CB1cKO in primary sensory neurons induced by tamoxifen in adult Advillin-Cre:CB1-floxed mice showed persistent hyperalgesia. Transcriptome/RNA sequencing analysis of the DRG indicated that differentially expressed genes were enriched in energy regulation and complement and coagulation cascades at the early phase of CB1cKO, whereas pain regulation and nerve conduction pathways were affected at the late phase of CB1cKO. Chronic constriction injury in mice induced neuropathic pain and changed transcriptome expression in the DRG of CB1cKO mice, and differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with inflammatory and immune-related pathways. Nerve injury caused a much larger increase in CB2 expression in the DRG in CB1cKO than in wildtype mice. Interfering with downstream target genes of CB1, such as antagonizing CB2, inhibited activation of astrocytes, reduced neuroinflammation, and alleviated neuropathic pain. Our results demonstrate that CB1 in primary sensory neurons functions as an endogenous analgesic mediator. CB2 expression is regulated by CB1 and may be targeted for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongmin Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Pathophysiology, Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Min Jia
- Clinical Laboratories, Wuhan First Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Caihua Wu
- Department of Acupuncture, Wuhan First Hospital, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenqiang Ge
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Kexing Wan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuye Lan
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiya Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuanheng Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengyue Fang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiexi He
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui-Lin Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jun-Qiang Si
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Man Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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